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Guidance counselor salary in Texas

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$67,900median pay per year in Texas, or $32.64 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $42,380lowest 10% earn less
  2. $49,77025th percentile
  3. $67,900median
  4. $82,46075th percentile
  5. $101,830top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $64,330[3]

The median pay for guidance counselors in Texas was $67,900 a year in May 2025[1]. That was 5.5% higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in TX
31,730[4]
Rank by median pay
14 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+5.5%[6]

How much do guidance counselors make in Texas?

Half of the guidance counselors in Texas earned more than $67,900 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $32.64 an hour[1]. The average was a little higher, at $69,940 a year[7].

Across the US, the median was $64,330 a year[3]. Texas came in 14th highest among the 50 states and DC[5]. Guidance counselors in Texas also earned $19,280 more than the median for all jobs in the state, which was $48,620[8][9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,380, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $101,830[2]. By metro area, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had a median of $76,380 and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands had $75,930[10]. Among metro areas with a published median, Odessa had the highest, at $101,810[11].

OEWS counts wage and salary workers, both full time and part time. It leaves out the self-employed. Bonuses that are not tied to production and the cost of benefits like health insurance are not in the wage figures either[12].

Texas vs US pay

Pay for guidance counselors in Texas next to the national figures[1][3].

TXUS
Median per year$67,900[1]$64,330[3]
Median per hour$32.64[1]$30.93[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$42,380[2]$45,020[13]
Top 10% earn more than$101,830[2]$104,770[13]
Jobs31,730[4]353,310[3]

Pay by metro area in Texas

Metro areas in Texas with the most jobs for guidance counselors, and the median pay in each[10].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX[10]$76,3807,980
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$75,9306,480
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$61,5703,500
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$59,0903,120
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$80,390990
El Paso, TX$70,810960
College Station-Bryan, TX$49,420830
Lubbock, TX$67,900630

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for guidance counselors in the states that border Texas, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
New Mexico[14]$77,8801,780
Louisiana$61,8704,820
Arkansas$59,7702,310
Oklahoma$52,0404,830

Median pay for guidance counselors in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for guidance counselors are projected to grow 2.9% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: master's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a guidance counselor make in Texas?
The median was $67,900 a year in May 2025, and the average was $69,940[1][7].
How much does a guidance counselor make an hour in Texas?
The median was $32.64 an hour[1]. Hourly pay ran from $20.37 at the 10th percentile to $48.96 at the 90th[17].
Which city in Texas pays guidance counselors the most?
Among metro areas with a published median, Odessa was highest at $101,810 a year[11]. Among the metro areas listed with job counts, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission had the top median at $80,390[10].
Is Texas a good state for guidance counselors?
Texas had the 14th highest median wage for this job among the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $3,570 (5.5%) above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a guidance counselor in Texas?
Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is a master's degree, with no related work experience or on-the-job training listed[16]. This is a US figure, not a Texas one.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas was $67,900 per year and $32.64 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas: 10th percentile $42,380, 25th percentile $49,770, 75th percentile $82,460, 90th percentile $101,830. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US as a whole was $64,330 per year and $30.93 per hour, with about 353,310 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 31,730 people worked as Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Texas had the 14th highest median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas ($67,900) was $3,570 (5.5%) higher than the US median ($64,330). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas was $69,940 per year and $33.63 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas was $19,280 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($48,620). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Texas was $48,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 26 metro areas in or partly in Texas with a published median for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, Odessa, TX had the highest median annual wage, $101,810. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US: 10th percentile $45,020, 25th percentile $51,270, 75th percentile $82,870, 90th percentile $104,770. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in states that border Texas (highest first): New Mexico $77,880; Louisiana $61,870; Arkansas $59,770; Oklahoma $52,040. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors is projected to grow 2.9% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 27,800 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Texas: 10th percentile $20.37, 25th percentile $23.93, 75th percentile $39.65, 90th percentile $48.96. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Texas. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.